Upon the Goliath
by Emil Lime
Summary: Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and the 501st have crashed on a distant and forgotten planet with no hope of rescue. With communications failing and supplies running out, they struggle to find a way off the doomed world. But escape is the least of their concerns. Something is hunting them. One by one, they will fall and unlocking this planet's secrets is their only hope for salvation.
1. Stranded

Chapter One: Stranded

* * *

The tall, twisting roots spiraled high off the ground, burrowing back into the skin of the planet. The tall, thick trees draped their branches low, vines and tangles of pine-thin leaves dangled close to the ground. Thick blankets of fog rolled into the area, wrapping everything in a thin white vale. It clung to the trooper's armor as he walked by, pistols raised carefully as he took cautious steps across the terrain.

Captain Rex had clicked on his helmet lights and night vision a long time ago; it hadn't helped. The atmosphere was just too thick on this planet. No matter how much he strained his eyes, he couldn't see more than a couple of feet in front of him. Dropping down behind a large tree, he pulled out his binoculars, trying to make out whatever lied beyond the massive fog and trees.

Off in the distance he thought it looked like a mountain range, but he wasn't sure. Clicking the communicator on his wrist, he spoke, "General, there's nothing out this way. A possible mountain range, but no life forms."

"No life forms?" His general asked, disbelief evident even through the thick static on the comm.

"Yes, sir."

There was silence and the heavy static on the other end before a sigh could be made out. "Get back to the ship, then."

"Yes, sir." Rex's finger clicked off the communicator as he stood himself up and carefully made his way back. Even with his extensive training, he was still breaking a sweat travelling through the rugged terrain. As he made his way back slowly, he reached a small drop off. Sliding down it carefully, he landed next to the ship and his General.

'Ship', of course, was a generous term for it, the Captain thought. 'Mangled wreckage' suited it much better. They'd crash landed on this planet a few hours ago, after the hyperdrive went haywire and shot them past their original destination by several clicks. They'd hurdled right into the planet, the only reason they were still breathing was his General's piloting skills and quick _manual_ breaking of the hyperdrive. The landing wasn't soft, not in the least, but a small amount of the crew survived. That's when Rex had been sent on recon, heading northeast. Fives, an ARC Trooper and Rex's acting Lieutenant, had headed southwest. The few remaining troopers stayed to protect the make-shift base they'd set up. The two Generals and the Commander had stayed as well, working to plot out some kind of possible location.

Rex figured that went about as well as his recon.

"Welcome back, Captain." His general smirked, "How'd the terrain treat you?"

Rex grimaced as he removed his helmet, sweat gleaming on his face. Tucking the helmet under his arm, he used his free hand to wipe at his brow, as if making a point. "Let's just say it isn't as easy as I make it look." The man before him smirked wider.

"Always the funny one, aren't you Rex?"

"Got to keep up the moral." He gave a playful smirk back.

Heading into the small camp area, half a dozen soldiers were lying on the ground, helmets and armor removed as Kix worked over their injuries as best he could. He was having trouble keeping up with the demand, though; most of the medical supplies has been destroyed in the crash. The few who could manage to stand were defending the small perimeter, guns pointed and at the ready. Standing by a small fire in the middle of the area was General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Commander Ahsoka Tano. Their eyes raised when the Captain and General walked towards them.

A weary smile covered Obi-Wan's face. "Good to see you, Captain. Anakin told me about your recon."

Rex returned the smile. "Good to know the General is on top of things."

For a fraction of a second, Obi-Wan's smile widened, then his face dropped to its usual professional demeanor. "So, no life forms." A hand went to stroke his beard. "Unpopulated planets aren't _uncommon_, though that means our escape plan is going to need some work."

The Captain heaved an internal sigh. The crash hadn't just completely destroyed the durasteel ship, it'd demolished all of the systems inside. Circuits were fried to a crisp and crushed, communication devices were pulverized before being set ablaze by the electrical fire-ultimately, it was a mess.

Anakin spoke up, "How long do you think it'll take the Jedi Council to realize we're missing?"

"Honestly, Skyguy, they've probably already noticed _you're_ missing." Commander Tano's comment painted a sarcastic smirk on her young face and earned a playful scowl from Anakin. "I mean, seriously. Master Windu _has_ to notice the peace and quiet." The Jedi Knight and his Padawan had developed quiet the relationship. Rex related it to the relationship he and his fellow brothers had-the bantering and playful rivalry-which he supposed would make his General and Commander one thing: siblings. They got along fairly well, considering. Anakin, in Rex's opinion, could best be described as a free spirit, one very ready to do things his own way. Ahsoka, on the other hand, was a little more set in the ways of tradition, though she'd become a lot more spontaneous in the past two years upon working under Skywalker.

Thankfully, Obi-Wan stepped in before the two could escalate their bickering. "Why don't we wait to see what Fives has to say? He hasn't reported in yet."

"Alright," the younger General added. "Should be any minute now, anyway."

As if on cue, Anakin's comm blinked and clicked. "General, do you copy?"

"Copy you loud and clear, Fives. What have you got? Any life forms?" There was a sort of tension in the air as they all waited for an answer. Even he men on the perimeter seemed to stiffen as they waited for the ARC Trooper to respond.

A crackle and a pop, and Fives' voice spoke, "No life forms, sir," there was a pause, "but there's something you've got to see." They all exchanged glances.

The younger General furrowed his brow, "Not that I want to spoil the surprise or anything, but care to share, Fives?"

"It's mountains, sir. It's better for you to just see them for yourself." Rex raised an eyebrow towards the communicator but said nothing as he dawned his helmet. Anakin gave an affirmative answer. All but Captain Rex, another clone named Kidd and the Jedi would stay and watch the injured, waiting for further orders. The travelling group geared up with the little supplies they had and moved out quickly. It sat in Rex's gut uneasily, the way Fives has spoken. He'd sounded spooked. Rex of all people knew how hard it was to bother a clone trooper. The chemical that releases fear into a human's system was inhibited inside of them, still there but barely functioning. It was shut off to keep them from going AWOL. So if one of them was actually scared, it must have been something truly creepy.

Just as with the trek before, Rex could feel his body aching. The tall roots tangled at their feet, even the Jedi tripping occasionally over the vastly overgrown wilderness. He heard General Kenobi mumble something about the force but the captain widely ignored it. He wasn't in tune with the Force, so their constant babbling of it went in one ear and out the other. He'd tried to listen to the Jedi, to understand them, but it all went over his head. Force or no Force, this terrain was even bothering the Jedi who were treading it. That's all he needed to know.

By the time they were a klick away from Fives' position, the foliage cleared to flat, dry ground, the foggy outline of cliff faces spreading out before them. "I can't even see Fives," Ahsoka spoke, furrowing her eye marks. She glanced towards her master, who hummed in agreement. His face was still in concentration, probably trying to sense something. It didn't take a Jedi to feel the unease in the air. Rex turned is head this way and that, the trees all stopped in perfect lines, as if parted by a comb.

What stood before them seemed to start in the same place as well, all uniform and in line.

The small group continued forward, Kidd speaking through his helmet comm. The comm system between clones was complicated. Using the HUD-or Heads-up Display-, clones could pull up maps and schematics, check air composition, read a trooper's identification number in their armor-which allowed for pop-up name tags to appear above their heads if needed in combat-and it allowed them to communicate one-on-one or through their helmet just through a simple flick of their eyes in one direction or another. It wasn't uncommon for them to speak through their helmets to each other, bypassing any surrounding Jedi. Rex figured it was for privacy purposes, since Shinies used it the most to get reassurance from their officers.

Kidd's voice was dry as it reached the Captain's ears only, "Shouldn't we have seen ARC Trooper Fives by now? Do you think he's lost?"

Rex smirked into his helmet, the premise of Fives being lost almost comical. "Calm yourself, rookie. Fives doesn't _usually_ get himself into messes he can't get out of." Umbara came to the front of Rex's mind. Not that it was a pleasant memory, counting Fives had gotten himself Court Marshalled and then nearly executed, amongst other issues that'd nearly gotten him sent home in a box, but it served as a reminder of the man's often times dumb luck and reckless valor. Rex had to admit, the man was headstrong in every sense of the word. He'd been driven to near madness by Fives so many times he'd almost pulled his blasters on the guy. Of course, the Captain always regained his cool before that could happen.

"If anything," Rex added, not bothering to hide his amusement, "Fives is probably poking his nose where it doesn't belong. We'll find him shortly, Kidd, don't worry."

By then, they'd crossed the distance to the tall stone standing before them. Fives wasn't anywhere to be seen, though that was the least of their concern as they looked upon what stood before them. Tall mountain walls stood before them, the entirety of it carved into large intricate faces, some mouths open and carved through, leading through the mountain range. Heads spanned every bit of the surface, no casual rock face or plant life marred it's pristine, chiseled surface. There was, however, something smashed into a cluster of skulls beside them, shattered pieces of what Rex recognized as durasteel cluttering the ground and the stone heads.

Anakin had his communicator up to his mouth instantly, "Fives, where are you?"

"I take it you've made it to the mountains, sir. I'm inside the crash site."

Furrowing his eyebrows, Anakin asked, "Why didn't you wait for us?"

"Because, sir," Fives spoke, and then the clatter of something falling behind him came through the static. His voice dropped to a whisper, "I saw something come inside. I decided to check it out."

"Stay where you are. We're coming in," the younger General said before clicking off his comm. His feet set to take him over to the wreckage but Rex's hand shot out and grabbed ahold of Anakin's shoulder. "What?"

Rex recognized the look on his General's face, one of pure determination. He was worried about Fives being inside an unknown craft with an unknown entity wandering about. Especially after Rex's recon had pegged this planet as uninhabited. "Sir, we don't know the situation inside. Let Kidd and I head in first. We'll send you the all clear once it's safe."

A retort was forming on the General's lips but Obi-Wan stepped beside him. "I think that'd be best. We'll be ready at your command, Captain."

Giving a salute and a nod, Rex turned and motioned to Kidd, the two heading towards the wreckage, weapons drawn.

They approached the remains carefully, feet gently lifting them further and further to an access point as they climbed the wreckage. Kidd scanned the ship with his HUD. "Several heat signatures inside. The engine is still hot, too. It couldn't have crashed that long ago."

Rex didn't like the sound of that. "Type of ship?"

"S-Class supply ship, sir. Republic."

"What's one of these doing way out here?" Rex's own HUD screen scanned the area as he glanced left to right. The nose of the ship had been partially broken, the majority of the inner workings had been bent badly, parts of it twisted down into the rock. The ship's exterior was shattered and beyond repair. The internals of the ship, however, appeared to have stayed mostly intact-at least from the looks of the outside. "Looks like all those fancy add-ons helped cushion its fall."

Kidd looked towards his Captain, "If by cushion you mean kept it from being completely shredded, then sure." Rex was glad to hear Kidd had a slight sense of dry humor. He hadn't gotten time to work with the Shinies yet. They'd been recently assigned into the Torrent Company and Rex had the privilege of seeing to their training. From there, they'd be assigned to battalions. Rex was hoping to find a diamond in the rough, another man or two who'd add to the 501st already impressive list. Maybe Kidd was one of those diamonds.

"Well, the inside appears to be stable enough," Rex said as he put away his pistols and peeled back some metal, finding a busted doorway. It'd been badly dented but it was still big enough to crawl through. Ducking down and stepping through, he turned on his helmet lights and readied his pistols again. Taking a quick sweep of the hallway, he spoke, "Clear." Allowing room for Kidd to come in, the two headed down the thin walkway carefully, the groans and creaks of the unstable structure reminding them to be quick on their feet.

Aside from the moans of the metal around them, the ship was eerily quiet. Rex felt unease settle into his stomach. Fives had mentioned seeing someone come on board. Friendly? Was it one of the men who worked on this ship? Or was it something else? Rex hadn't found anything when he was scouring the area previously. That didn't mean the planet was _empty_, but it was odd he hadn't even run into an animal of some kind.

So it had to be someone who'd survived the crash, then. Right?

"Take a look at this, sir." Rex's attention jumped to Kidd, who dropped down and ran his hand along the ground. It was faint, but Rex recognized it regardless. Blood.

It was a dry trail, smeared and scuffed. "Something dragged the body off…" The Captain's eyes followed the trail, his helmet lights illuminating the dull crimson as it rounded a corner. "How come I've got a bad feeling about this?" Knowing he couldn't waste any time, he clicked his wrist comm and spoke through the static, "General, we've definitely got something in here. It appears to have dragged off the bodies of the crew."

"You're sure, Captain?"

"Positive," the distant echo of rattling made its way down the hall, causing Kidd to stand and straighten his stance. "Whatever it is, it's still here. I think it's what Fives followed inside."

There was a pause on the other side, the static almost unbearable as the connection waned. "We're coming in. Whatever it is, it might be dangerous." Just then, the scrap of metal scurried over them, the sound growing loud quickly as it made its way towards them. The two threw their gaze upwards.

Nothing.

"Rex...?" the comm spoke. The Captain put his back against Kidd's, each one facing either entrance of the hall. "Rex, what was that?"

"It's here, sir." Rex's voice was barely above a whisper.

"We're coming," the communication link ended, the static shushing. Silence lingered in the hall, suffocating them. Rex could feel his nerves crawl. They were being watched. By what, he wasn't sure.

Kidd fidgeted with his gun, the sound echoing harshly in the silence. "Where is this thing?"

"Keep your calm, Shinie." Rex leveled his DC-17s at the end of the hall and waited. He'd gone through this several times before. His pulse vibrated in his ear, the tip of his weapon, no matter how much he willed it, wouldn't stop shaking. His eyes trained on their location and he took deep, steady breaths. It was as close to meditating as Rex ever got, and he only did it when he was about to pull the trigger. He could hear the rookie behind him shuffle slightly on his feet, hear his unsteady breathing. He could also hear the faint groan of metal coming from deeper within the ship. Just where was this thing?

Rex felt it in his gut then. Turn around.

Twisting his head to the side, he could see Kidd had his gun outstretched but he wasn't firing. "Kidd?" Bells and whistles started banging in the Captain's head, he turned completely around while holstering a pistol, grabbing Kidd's shoulder to try and pull him back. The rookie wouldn't move. His eyes were fixed into the darkness that lied just beyond his helmet lights. "Kidd, what are you-"

Every ounce of oxygen left Rex's lungs as Kidd lifted his own rifle to the edge of his chin, eyes still fixed in the blackness. The Captain dropped his second blaster as both hands went to pull down the extended arm. No matter how much he pulled, Kidd's arm wouldn't budge. "What are you doing, Kidd! Snap out of it!" Rex could feel the rookie shaking, could feel his desire to stop and yet, for some reason, he wasn't. Clones didn't do something like this, not even in the worst situations. They were hardwired to keep fighting until the bitter end, even if the odds of death were high. So why?

Rex couldn't let one of his own men do this. Kidd had barely started working, he'd barely gotten to see his own potential, and yet, no matter how hard Rex pulled, the clone's arm wouldn't move. "Stang, Kidd, get ahold of yourself!"

"Cap…tain." The strain in Kidd's voice, the terror, and a second later, it didn't matter anymore. A bright blast of blue light seared its way through Kidd's skull, body becoming limb and collapsing to the floor. The arm Rex had been holding slipped effortlessly from his fingers, tumbling into a heap on the ground.

"Kidd!" How many men had he seen fall in battle? So many he couldn't even keep count any more. Yet, he'd never seen one take his own life and seem so damn set on _not_ doing so. Rex didn't have time to mourn, he never did. He needed to contact the General, needed to find Fives and then get out of the ship. Whatever was here, he got the sense it'd somehow had a hand in Kidd's death. The Captain didn't know how, but if his years of hardened experience had taught him anything, it was to trust in his intuition.

He lifted his wrist comm to speak when Kidd's body suddenly jerked like a blanket being pulled by a child. Rex's eyes looked all over. Nothing.

"What the..." Bending down, he reached a tentative hand out to Kidd only for the body to suddenly be yanked out of reach. It was making its way down the hall, the rookie's body being dragged like an unwanted toy by an invisible hand along the metal floor. The body quickly disappeared around the corner and Rex followed after.

His DC-17s were in his hands before he rounded the corner. His eyes trained ahead, he watched as Kidd was yanked behind another corner. "Hey!" His legs propelled him forward as he dashed to catch up. Corner after corner, turn after turn, Rex would only catch sight of an arm or hand before it disappeared ahead of him. As Rex rounded yet another turn, ducking under a broken out panel, he watched as the body was dragged up the wall and through a busted vent. The body wouldn't fit, Kidd was too big for the hole, but whatever was dragging him was trying to pull him through. "Let him go!" Rex ran over, guns being put aside as he grabbed ahold of Kidd. He tugged with all his strength, but whatever had grabbed his comrade had an iron grip.

Giving another forceful tug, Rex barely felt something wrap around his ankle. He was pulled from his feet, head slamming the inside of his helmet as he hit the ground with a thud. The breaking of bones came from above as Kidd's body was broken apart, made to fit through the vent. It disappeared out of sight, the body armor rattling its way through the ventilation system and deeper into the moans of the ship.

The Captain's head was spinning as he sat himself up. His HUD screen had gone wonky, multiple menus covering his vision. He blinked the close command and everything shut down, leaving him with a clear view of his surroundings. "Stang," he mumbled, getting to his feet. His eyes travelled to the vent and he mentally cringed. "Just what _was_ that?"

Kidd's body was gone, whatever had killed him was gone and now Rex was lost inside the ship. He needed to find Fives and the General. Something about this made his stomach turn. What had just happened wasn't just surreal, it just wasn't right. A solider killing himself was one thing, being dragged away by some unseen force was another. Just thinking about it made Rex's body go numb. Shaking the feeling off, he clicked his comm to life, static filling the silence. "General. We've got a problem."

* * *

A/N: Welcome to "Upon the Goliath"! Thanks for taking the time to check this story out and give it a read. Things are only going to get more mysterious from here so prepare yourself for that. This story is all about the twists and turns, so if you're game for a crazy ride, stay tuned. Again, thanks for the read! I'll see you next chapter.

Emil Lime, out.


	2. The River

Chapter Two: The River

* * *

They'd travelled this far together, so Anakin couldn't understand why they should separate. As Rex dropped his salute and turned around, Kidd following close behind, Anakin felt the knot in his stomach twist even tighter. He'd felt unbalanced since they'd crash landed. Stumbling out of the curled and shattered mess that was their ship, every ounce of his being felt _off_; like he'd trespassed upon a sacred place. Not to mention the force as extremely heavy here, swelling into a pregnant bubble around them and yet completely unusable, like a fire without a spark. The force was _so _heavy he couldn't even feel Ahsoka or Obi-Wan beside him as they all watched the troopers disappear into the fog.

"I _still_ don't like this," the younger general protested. His arms crossed across his chest as he looked at the older man. Obi-Wan's hands stroked gently at his beard, eyes trained where the two troopers had just vanished. "Rex said there weren't any life forms."

The older gestured widely, "It could be a survivor of the crash. We won't know until they find Fives and radio back." Anakin bit back his retort to that logic, not feeling up to a dispute over tactics. The damage had already been done, anyway. He'd just have to trust Rex to handle himself if anything bad happened.

"So," Ahsoka spoke, raising a white eye mark, "What are we going to do?"

Anakin looked around the desolate landscape, the outline of the forest they'd exited barely visible from their position near the mountains. He turned towards them fully, sapphire eyes drifting over the hollow expressions that carved themselves into the mountain faces. Each face was different, tribal markings carved into intricate swirls and hashes, the blank eyes and open mouths looking down upon their unwelcomed guests. A chill ran up Anakin's spine but he shook it off. This planet was definitely giving him the creeps. The faster they could find a way off, the better.

Obi-Wan's voice came through the fog, "Why don't we get a closer look at one of those tunnels?" He pointed towards the mountain range, towards a face with a mouth far darker than the rest. "It might go straight though."

Shrugging, Anakin swept his hands forward, "After you." With Obi-Wan taking the lead, the three headed inside, darkness quickly sweeping over them to take the dissipating fog's place. Flicking their light sabers to life, eerie green and blue glows casted themselves along the wall, barely breaking though the black that engulfed them. The tunnel's walls were free of cracks or weeds, as smooth as the surfaces out front. He supposed it only disturbed him a little bit, the immaculate way the walls smoothed over them. Who was taking care of this place if no one lived here?

The scuffing of their boots in the dry dirt and the steady hum of their light sabers were the only noises penetrating the hollow hall, the dark and silence continuing to absorb them as they moved further in. Maybe Obi-Wan expected to see cave paintings or some other _usual_ indicator of habitation, but all that greeted them were dark walls, smooth as polished marble. Maybe he was hoping to find some sort of indicator-a sign-of who or what had created such design, but even as they walked further, the emotionless, blank walls stayed silent. Whatever his master was looking for, Anakin was certain these caves wouldn't tell him anything.

And that's when the sound came. Running water.

It was distant, faint, but there. What lie in front of them was the dim glow of the exit. Obi-Wan halted in his advance, his shoulders raising slightly. Something wasn't right. Even without the force, he could see it in his former master. Ahsoka ignited her _shoto, _readying it along with her other light saber. When they began their advance again, slowly and with more caution, they exited the mountain's mouth, sitting before them a large river, thick with rippling blue waves, and beyond it, more stone carved faces. Keeping his light saber lit, Obi-Wan took a few steps towards the river, squinting slightly at the further mountain faces. "We certainly weren't in that cave long enough to make it all the way through…"

Before anything more could be said, Anakin's comm beeped to life and Rex's voice was on the other side, heavy with static. "General, we've definitely got something in here. It appears to have dragged off the bodies of the crew."

Anakin's brows furrowed."You're sure, Captain?"

"Positive," Rex's voice came, accompanied by a metallic rattle in the distance on Rex's side. "Whatever it is," he continued, "it's still here. I think it's what Fives followed inside."

The younger general's eyes travelled between the other Jedi, both of them giving a nod. "We're coming in. Whatever it is, it might be dangerous." Metal against metal sounded, the noise rushing towards the comm before stopping on a dime. "Rex...?" there was no response. "Rex, what was that?"

"It's here, sir." His captain's voice was low.

They didn't have the luxury of idle conversation. "We're coming," Anakin ended the communication. He turned towards the cave, ready to help his Captain, but stopped. The entrance was gone. "What the…? We just came through…"

Looking towards Obi-Wan, the older seemed just as surprised. "You don't suppose the entrance up and walked away, do you?" It was sarcasm, but Anakin wasn't in the mood for jokes. His Padawan stepped further back, towards the river. Squinting up, Anakin followed her gaze to the haze that swallowed the rest of the mountain.

"I bet we could cross the mountains; jump between skulls." Blue eyes squinted further, "The only problem is we don't know how high they go…" Taking a couple more steps back, she tried to work more of the smooth faces into view, her ankle splashing into the cold liquid as she did. Her master watched as her lips pursed into a fine line, eyes screwing closed.

He couldn't help but smile, "Cold, Snips?"

Her icy eyes drilled into him as her lips pressed even further into a straight line on her face. She wanted to say something, _bad_. She'd thought better of it, though. His smile only grew wider. He'd mark this as a win in the books. The smile across his lips faded as he saw the waves of the river shift direction, pressing themselves towards Ahsoka's submerged ankle. It happened too quickly for him to give off a warning. Suddenly his Padawan was being dragged into the middle of the river, disappearing under the waves before she even gave off a shout.

It didn't take Anakin more than second. His feet carried him into the cold waves, "Ahsoka!"

The waves pulled away from his feet as he stepped in, swelling further downstream where the water had dragged Ahsoka. It was then that Obi-Wan finally reacted, chasing down the stream along with Anakin as they raced towards Ahsoka. Her movement downstream halted, her two light sabers stuck deep into the riverbed; so far that her hands and half of her forearms had disappeared into the muck beneath. The water pulled away from her head and upper body, gathering around her ankles in a tight knot.

"Something's got her leg!" Anakin shouted. Light saber still ignited, he hurried towards her, jumping immediately to the ankle she'd stepped in with. He couldn't mask his shock; he'd never seen water move like that, waves receding from the riverbed to swarm at Ahsoka's feet. "What?!"

There was nothing holding her, nothing ensnaring her to make her prisoner. All there was was water, swollen around her ankle, waves rippling over its surface as it attempted to drag her away. Cutting at the water, nothing but the hiss of it evaporating came. Obi-Wan had wrapped his hands around Ahsoka's elbows by then, tugging her towards him to no avail. He grunted as Ahsoka's light sabers slipped, her and the older man jerking before the blades came to a halt deeper within the mud.

Obi-Wan's voice was strained, "Anakin, hurry!"

He wasn't exactly sure what 'hurry' meant when there was nothing for him to do. Desperately, his mind skimmed for answers. He couldn't use the force here, couldn't pull Ahsoka to safety. Cutting and slashing didn't work, there was nothing to sever. He couldn't do anything.

Despair sank into his bones. Again he cut into the water and again nothing happened. He couldn't let his Padawan die like this. He would never be able to handle it, moreover be able to forgive himself. Swinging wildly, his sapphire blade cut deep into the mud, water hissing as the energy blade was dragged through. Ahsoka slipped again, this time knocking Anakin off his feet and pulling Obi-Wan with her as the water crashed back into formation, filling the river once more.

Anakin's head went under. Water, like fingers, rushing into his lungs, and a sturdy set of hands dived after him.

In an instant he was pulled from the current and onto the shoreline he'd been standing on previously. Coughing and gasping for breath, he pushed himself upright and looked towards the river.

Nothing.

Beside him, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan animated, hacking up splats of water as more sloshed off of them like heavy jackets. Before he could stop himself, he'd scurried over to Ahsoka, wrapping his arms around her in the semblance of a hug. She rejected it though, pushing him back limply as she spat up more liquid. Anakin backed up, taking his Padawan in. "Are you ok, Ahsoka?" After coughing again, she gave a short nod, waving off her master's concern like a pesky insect.

"I'm fine… j-just what in the galaxy happened?"

As Anakin looked over the water, now still and drifting downstream lazily, he couldn't help but wonder. Ahsoka had been dragged back, Obi-Wan with her, and Anakin himself had been knocked off his feet, submerged. And yet…

Obi-Wan's voice interrupted his musing. "Whatever happened, Rex still needs our help. We've got to get moving."

As much as he hated to admit it, his master was right. Getting to his feet and helping Ahsoka to hers, the three of them headed back towards the mountains they'd come from. They only hesitated slightly when they saw the previously vanished door sitting there, dark entrance greeting them coldly. He could see it in his friends, they were just as disturbed as he was.

They would talk about it later. Right now, they needed to get moving.

The tunnel was equally as blank as the first time through, though it carried a heaviness to it that it hadn't before. It took them even less time to make their way outside, the outline of the forest they'd been in earlier that day a distant line in the fog. Before long, the outline of the crash site came into view as well, each shattered and tattered detail etching its way into the fog as they approached. Right as they stepped foot onto the durasteel, Anakin's comm blinked to life, his Captain's voice coming over it.

"General, we've got a problem."

Anakin didn't even slow his pace. "Talk to me, Rex."

"Kidd's dead. Suicide." How could a clone commit suicide? "Something dragged him off, sir, but you won't believe me when I tell you."

"Try me," they entered through an open doorway, the three of them hurrying down the thin hallway, light sabers lit.

Rex's voice was off-put, most likely by his General's assertiveness, Anakin assumed. "He was dragged away by something invisible."

Beside him, the older General spoke. "Just like at the river. Something unseen grabbed Ahsoka."

Whatever this was, Anakin was liking it less and less. "Watch yourself, Rex. We're headed your way. Don't move." Right as Anakin's finger flicked the comm off, his feet we knocked from under him as he tripped ungracefully over something. His head slammed into the broken durasteel floor with a _thud_ and a ringing bringer through his ears. A streak of dry crimson was under him as was a military issue blaster rifle. He could hear Obi-Wan shout out to him but the sudden silence that followed from his companions caused the younger General's blood to run cold.

Shifting and pulling himself up, he grabbed at his discarded light saber and turned around, igniting this blue beam. The light casted harsh shadows upon what had caused Anakin to trip.

A corpse.

Its ash-colored skin was nearly paste white in the glow, black hair strewn about on the floor. Its eyes were open but blank, white irises and whitened pupils where color surely had been. Oddly, there we no injuries, no wounds, nothing notable to have caused its death.

"You don't suppose it was cardiac arrest." Obi-Wan offered, frowning.

"Suppose, Master Kenobi?" Ahsoka said, "I'm not seeing any other option here."

Anakin wasn't sure what bothered him more, thru unknown cause of death or the way the corpse's eyes had drained of all color, like the pigment had been shocked out of them. Standing, he looked down at the body. "Maybe our invisible attacker got him?"

Ahsoka frowned. "Just what was that thing, anyway? I've never heard of an invisible monster dragging people to their doom."

"Not just people," The older man corrected. "Corpses, too. Though if our invisible _friend_ took this man down, why didn't it take him away?"

Anakin's head was swimming with more questions than answers, "We'll have to worry about it later. We've got to find Rex. He might have a better idea of what we're up against."

There was the mutual feeling of agreement and with that, Ahsoka dragged the body to the side of the hall, shutting its eyes and sitting it upright against the wall. Anakin even thought a small bit of eulogy to the man. They didn't have time to give anything proper, though. They had to keep moving.

* * *

Rex wasn't liking the silence any more than he'd liked the static filled connection he'd had with his General not a moment ago. One had made it impossible to hear his surroundings, the other made it impossible to think. Keeping his blasters handy, he looked back up at the vent Kidd had been _forced_ to fit through. Shivering, he looked ahead and then behind him, the hallway completely empty, he pressed himself against the cool durasteel and took a deep breath. He needed to stay calm, not let himself be lost to the commotion inside his head. Like so many other battles, he needed to maintain control of the fantasies he created inside his mind. He couldn't let himself get carried away.

There was the sound of something rattling in the distance and then silence. Another moan deep within the bowels of the ship. The click-clack of something tumbling from its place. Always silence that followed and it was putting Rex on edge.

Glancing in the direction he remembered coming, he stepped in that direction. He couldn't stay still any longer. He needed to move, to find his General or Fives, _something_. Standing and waiting was going to drive him mad.

Ducking through the entryway he'd come through, he rounded a darkened corner and flicked on his helmet lights, unaware of the eyes that were watching him.

* * *

A/N: Hello again! Thank you so much for the reviews and for the faves! It means a lot to me! Sorry for the wait. I had a hard time starting this chapter and getting it to go where I wanted it to go. Anakin's a very stubborn character and he kind of refuses to let me write through him or pull him somewhere in the story. He _really_ didn't want to cooperate. Once he got to the river, he was easier to write. Typical Chosen One, feeling entitled to do what he pleases :P

Rex is much easier to write with. Don't ask me why.

So the mysteries continue! Stay Tuned!

And a side note, there is a movement called #savetheclonewars on facebook (They also have a website). If you haven't joined it, please do so! Over 8000 members strong currently! The writers of CW had up to the end of season 8 written, so there were a lot more stories to tell. So join the movement and see what you can do to help try and get the rest of that content released! Just an FYI.


	3. Impossibilities

Chapter Three: Impossibilities

* * *

Fives had faced down danger countless times before. He'd been to the brink of the abyss and back and he even had the scars to prove it. A little over a year old and he'd already worked himself into the position of ARC Trooper, a rare feat even for the most seasoned soldier. He was fiery as the underworld and as bright as one thousand burning stars, yet he'd still managed to get himself into one stupid mess after another.

He'd followed something onto the ship. It'd been standing on those weird mountain faces, speaking with something else. Then it hopped down and headed towards the crash site, the fog hiding its movements as it approached the cruiser. Fives had followed because his gut had told him too, but once he got on board, he'd wished he hadn't.

The vessel groaned noisily as he jumped down from an opening in the ceiling and landed in an empty hallway. He'd looked to the side and saw a dead crew member, grey uniform scorched with evidence of fire. And that's when the body twitched before being dragged between his feet and off into the darkness. The rest of the bodies he found followed suit, nothing grabbing ahold of them before carting the corpses away, being dragged into vents and air ducts. He'd tried shooting at whatever was dragging away the dead, but it never worked. Eventually, Fives deemed it a waste of ink, so he stopped all together.

It wasn't until he felt something wrap around his ankle that he knew he was in much deeper then he'd thought. It'd started pulling him along the floor, dragging him through the hallways quickly. He'd nearly dropped his blasters with the sudden jerk that'd swept him off his feet. Next thing he knew, he was having to use his hands to push himself away from the walls that the invisible thing tried to swing him into with its overly sharp turns. Shooting didn't work-again-and once it started pulling him up the wall and into the small vent, only his leg and half of his hip fitting in, he pinned his hands against the sides and resisted. It twisted around Fives' ankle painfully, like barbed wire digging into his bone, yanking harder and harder the more he resisted.

For some reason, it was trying to pull him through and it did _not_ understand he wouldn't fit. He kept fighting, fidgeting as best he could, using all of his arm strength to push away from the tiny opening, but it kept on pulling back. A deadly game of tug-of-war, and Fives was on the losing end of the rope.

Unknown to him were the reasons it finally stopped trying, the tension holding him in place disappearing and causing Fives to collapse to the floor. He'd landed hard on his back, sending his HUD screens everywhere. Once he cleared his vision, he could feel it snaking around his throat. This time, whatever was trying to get him to fit in the vent was being smart about it. Quickly, he rolled away and he could feel it twist wildly in the air, missing its target. And that's when he ran.

It'd tripped him, wired around his arms and legs. And each time, Fives somehow struggling free of its grasp. He'd finally managed to outrun it, it seemed, as he ducked down behind a broken panel inside what was left of the bridge. He huffed in a deep breath of relief.

Whatever was chasing him really had lost him for the moment and he wasn't about to jump around to alert it of his location. He needed to stop and think, especially now that he had a moment, but all his brain could do was run through the impossibilities it'd seen, trying to rationalize what had happened.

Or had it happened? He was so turned around, so lost and so damn _frightened_, he wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or not. What he saw, it just _wasn't_ possible.

Holding his twin blasters closer to his chest, he dared a peak over the panel. Nothing greeted him save darkness and the faint outline of the entryway he'd come through. Dropping back down to a seated position, he gave a long internal sigh. Glancing back at his wrist, he saw the shattered remains of his wrist comm. It must have been broken in the scuffle earlier, much to his dismay. Cursing silently, he knew he needed to contact Rex, but even his HUD was down. Flicking through frequency after frequency, all were coming up dead on his end. Must have happened when he fell from the vent.

The rattling of something moving through the air vents startled Fives and instantly he stilled, holding his breath for a quick instant as the noise scurried above him.

Had it found him or was it dragging off another body?

When nothing but the silent hum of fear was left, Fives relaxed a little. It hadn't found him-yet. Slowly shifting his weight, he got into a crouched position and began creeping silently. He kept his body aligned with the broken panels and disemboweled controls stations, hiding himself from the doorway he'd come through. Once he got himself to a vantage point, he popped his head above the cover and glanced at the darkened entrance.

If something tried to come through the door, he'd get the jump on it. Settling into a semi-comfortable position, Fives aimed his DC-15s at the door and waited. It'd be back, he knew that. And when it reared its ugly head, he'd be ready.

* * *

Rex wasn't sure which way he'd come from as he stepped further and further down the halls of the crash site. He'd been in such a mad rush to follow after whatever had grabbed Kidd, he'd failed to pay attention to what was surrounding him. Now he was helplessly lost.

Maybe he should just sit down and wait, that's what the General had instructed. Though the thought of staying still made him uneasy, it would make his General's job of finding him a lot less complicated. But even slowing his pace caused a shiver to run up his spine, like something was right behind him, trailing at his ankles.

In the end, his mental battle over orders and over fear didn't do anything for him. He kept a quick pace as he walked what he hoped was the path he'd taken when following Kidd. As he walked, his mind replayed the events he'd witnessed. Suicide of a trooper, not common but not unheard of, he supposed. But being dragged away by nothing? Pulled into the vents by nothing? Just what had happened? Maybe Rex's years of service were finally baring down on him. Maybe he'd finally snapped.

That didn't seem likely.

Rounding another corner, Rex paused. He recognized where he was. Not because he'd managed to find the location where Kidd had killed himself, but instead because he'd been on many Republic Line vessels, and knew this was the hallway outside of the bridge. The doorway to the bridge had been forced open at one point or another, the scrape marks along the durasteel enough to tell him that. Had crew members pried themselves free of the bridge and tried to escape, only to be dragged away by whatever had grabbed Kidd. Pushing the chilling thought aside, he stepped towards the darkened entrance, peering inside with his headlights. They did little to penetrate the floating debris and dust, the dim yellow glow reflecting harshly back at him.

From what he could tell, there was nothing besides the stained smears of crimson along the floor and the scrapes of blaster fire aiming miserably at something. There'd definitely been a struggle here. Beyond that, he could make out the gutted monitor stations and holo-tables, each with its wiring torn from it ungracefully, leaving the empty shells exposed. He made to step inside but paused. The back of his neck felt cold, the space around him too hot.

There was something behind him.

Spinning around, he only caught a glimpse of something speeding into the darkness at the end of the hall, where it waited. He could feel it. Pointing his blasters down the empty, narrow walkway, Rex squinted to try and see through the flittering specks of dust, see what stood there at the end of the hall just _waiting_. "Go ahead and come out…"

Taking careful steps, he inched closer to where it was waiting ever so patiently. The pounding of his heart echoed in his ears endlessly, pattering against his ribcage painfully. The end of his barrels twitched and he forced them to still. The sound of his feet scuffing the ground, inching forward, closer and closer to something that was just _waiting_ for him to get close enough. Every nerve told him he was making a mistake, to turn back, to run, but every bit of soldiers intuition told him if he turned his back, he'd be dead and dragging through those air vents just like Kidd.

"Why don't you come out you kriffin' coward."

A silhouette stood out against the darkness as Rex moved closer. A figure, thin and tall. It couldn't be a crew member, not with the way it was standing. Like a hunter, like it was out for blood. Keeping his eyes trained and aim steady, he watched its face, its eyes staring at him with an eerie sort of calm and bloodlust.

And that's when he noticed why. Rex, despite what he told his body, began lifting the blaster in his hand to his own head.

* * *

A/N: A shorter chapter this time. I got what I needed to get accomplished for this chapter and then I scrolled back and was like, "Wow, that's not a lot of pages". I figure it'd be rude of me to try and make it longer and thus not get it up until later, so I'll put it up now. The next chapter will be longer, I can garentee that.

Thanks for Reading! See you next chapter!

Emil Lime, out.


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